The term “electric vehicle” can be used to describe vehicles having an electric motor for vehicle propulsion, such as battery electric vehicles (BEV), hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). A BEV includes an electric motor, wherein the energy source for the motor is a battery that is re-chargeable from an external electric grid. In a BEV, the battery is the source of energy for vehicle propulsion. An HEV includes an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors, wherein the energy source for the engine is fuel and the energy source for the motor is a battery. In an HEV, the engine is the main source of energy for vehicle propulsion with the battery providing supplemental energy for vehicle propulsion (the battery buffers fuel energy and recovers kinetic energy in electric form). A PHEV is like an HEV, but the PHEV has a larger capacity battery that is rechargeable from the external electric grid. In a PHEV, the battery is the main source of energy for vehicle propulsion until the battery depletes to a low energy level, at which time the PHEV operates like an HEV for vehicle propulsion.
Electric vehicles may include a direct current (DC) voltage converter, e.g., variable voltage converter (VVC), connected between the battery and the electric motor. Such a voltage converter increases or boosts the voltage potential of the electrical power provided to the electric motor and facilitates torque capability optimization. The electric vehicle may also include an inverter connected between the DC voltage converter and the motor, when the motor is configured as an alternating current (AC) motor.